e-ISSN: Pending

Browse the failure-mode index

21,681 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures. Search the index →

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.

Negative / Null Result ReportBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Testosterone measured from amniotic fluid and maternal plasma shows no significant association with directional asymmetry in newborn digit ratio (2D:4D)

Gareth Richards, Manuel C. Gomes, T. Ventura · 2018 · Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Foetal sex hormones can have powerful and far-reaching effects on later phenotype. However, obtaining accurate measurements is difficult for ethical reasons, and researchers often employ proxy variables to examine their effects. The…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science

Aligning learning design and learning analytics through instructor involvement: a MOOC case study

Erkan Er, Eduardo Gómez‐Sánchez, Yannis Dimitriadis et al. · 2019 · Interactive Learning Environments

This paper presents the findings of a mixed-methods research that explored the potentials emerging from aligning learning design (LD) and learning analytics (LA) during the design of a predictive analytics solution and from involving the…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Addition of Inflammatory Biomarkers Did Not Improve Diabetes Prediction in the Community: The Framingham Heart Study

Dhayana Dallmeier, Martin G. Larson, Na Wang et al. · 2012 · Journal of the American Heart Association

Background Prior studies have reported conflicting findings with regard to the association of biomarkers in the prediction of incident type 2 diabetes. We evaluated 12 biomarkers as possible diabetes predictors in the F ramingham H eart S…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Adding Concurrent Chemotherapy to Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Does Not Improve Treatment Outcomes for Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Multicenter Clinical Trial

Xiaodong Huang, Xiaozhong Chen, Chong Zhao et al. · 2020 · Frontiers in Oncology

Purpose: To explore the efficacy of concomitant chemotherapy in intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) to treat stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods and Materials: In this randomized phase 2 study (registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, (NCT01187238)), eligible patients with stage II (2010 UICC/AJCC) NPC were randomly assigned to either IMRT alone (RT group) or IMRT combined with concurrent cisplatin (40 mg/m2, weekly) (CCRT group). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The second endpoints included local failure-free survival (LFFS), regional failure-free survival (RFFS), d

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportMedicine

Full investigation of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) presenting to four different clinical specialties reveals significant differences and undiagnosed morbidity

Dhakshana Sivayoganathan, Deivanayagam Maruthini, Julie Glanville et al. · 2011 · Human Fertility

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the spectrum of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms in patients from four different specialist clinics. DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: The study was…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Metformin Treatment Does Not Inhibit Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Patient-Derived Xenografts

Matthew B. Lipner, Raoud Marayati, Yangmei Deng et al. · 2016 · PLoS ONE

There is currently tremendous interest in developing anti-cancer therapeutics targeting cell signaling pathways important for both cancer cell metabolism and growth. Several epidemiological studies have shown that diabetic patients taking metformin have a decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer. This has prompted efforts to evaluate metformin, a drug with negligible toxicity, as a therapeutic modality in pancreatic cancer. Preclinical studies in cell line xenografts and one study in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were promising, while recently published clinical trials showed no benef

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

A 6-month, subject-masked, randomized controlled study to assess efficacy of dexamethasone as an adjunct to bevacizumab compared with bevacizumab alone in the treatment of patients with macular edema due to central or branch retinal vein occlusion

Michael Stewart, Raj K. Maturi, Vincent Chen et al. · 2014 · Clinical ophthalmology

AIMS: To determine if intravitreal bevacizumab combined with the dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg improves visual acuity and macular thickness more than bevacizumab monotherapy in eyes with macular edema due to branch and central…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Outcomes of synchronous systemic and central nervous system (CNS) involvement of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma are dictated by the CNS disease: a collaborative study of the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance

Joel Wight, Mimi Yue, Colm Keane et al. · 2019 · British Journal of Haematology

De novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) presenting with synchronous central nervous system (CNS) and systemic disease (synDLBCL) is not well described and is excluded from clinical trials. We performed a retrospective analysis of 80…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

Weather and food availability additively affect reproductive output in an expanding raptor population

Melanie Nägeli, Patrick Scherler, Stephanie Witczak et al. · 2021 · Oecologia

The joint effects of interacting environmental factors on key demographic parameters can exacerbate or mitigate the separate factors' effects on population dynamics. Given ongoing changes in climate and land use, assessing interactions between weather and food availability on reproductive performance is crucial to understand and forecast population dynamics. By conducting a feeding experiment in 4 years with different weather conditions, we were able to disentangle the effects of weather, food availability and their interactions on reproductive parameters in an expanding population of the red

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Efficacy and safety of chronomodulated irinotecan, oxaliplatin, 5‐fluorouracil and leucovorin combination as first‐ or second‐line treatment against metastatic colorectal cancer: Results from the International EORTC 05011 Trial

Pasquale F. Innominato, Abdoulaye Karaboué, C. Focan et al. · 2020 · International Journal of Cancer

The triplet combination of irinotecan, oxaliplatin and fluorouracil is an active frontline regimen in metastatic colorectal cancer, but scarce data exist on its use as salvage treatment. We aimed at assessing its safety and efficacy profiles with its circadian-based administration (chronoIFLO5) as either first- or second-line treatment, within the time-finding EORTC 05011 trial. Five-day chronoIFLO5 was administered every 3 weeks in patients with PS 0, 1 or 2. It consisted of chronomodulated irinotecan (180 mg/sqm), oxaliplatin (80 mg/sqm) and fluorouracil-leucovorin (2800 and 1200 mg/sqm, res

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Glaucoma-Associated Mutations in the Optineurin Gene Have Limited Impact on Parkin-Dependent Mitophagy

Kseniia Chernyshova, Keiichi Inoue, Shun‐ichi Yamashita et al. · 2019 · Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science

Purpose: Glaucoma results in progressive degeneration of the optic nerve and irreversible vision loss. Several mutations in the gene encoding optineurin (OPTN), the receptor for Parkin-dependent mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy), are…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessSocial Sciences

Does Severity of Physical Neglect Moderate the Impact of an Efficacious Preventive Intervention for Maltreated Children in Foster Care?

Heather N. Taussig, Sara E. Culhane, Edward F. Garrido et al. · 2012 · Child Maltreatment

Physically neglected youth are at increased risk of mental health problems, but there are few interventions that have demonstrated efficacy in reducing mental health symptoms for this vulnerable population. The Fostering Healthy Futures…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportEnvironmental Science

New cloud and microphysics parameterisation for use in high‐resolution dynamical downscaling: application for summer extreme temperature over Belgium

Rafiq Hamdi, Hans Van de Vyver, Piet Termonia · 2011 · International Journal of Climatology

Abstract We explore the use of high‐resolution dynamical downscaling as a means to simulate extreme values of summer maximum surface air temperature over Belgium ( T MAX ). We use the limited area version of the ARPEGE‐IFS model, ALADIN.…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessDecision Sciences

Predicting Stock Prices Using Machine Learning Methods and Deep Learning Algorithms: The Sample of the Istanbul Stock Exchange

Uğur Demirel, Handan Çam, Ramazan Ünlü · 2020 · GAZI UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE

Stock market prediction in financial and commodity markets is a major challenge for speculators, investors, and companies but also profitable with an accurate prediction. Thus, obtaining accurate prediction results becomes extremely…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportSocial Sciences

Framing Effects on Privacy Concerns about a Home Telepresence Robot

Matthew Rueben, Frank J. Bernieri, Cindy Grimm et al. · 2017

Privacy-sensitive robotics is an emerging area of HRI research. Judgments about privacy would seem to be context-dependent, but none of the promising work on contextual "frames" has focused on privacy concerns. This work studies the impact…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience

Closed-loop modulation of local slow oscillations in human NREM sleep

Simon Ruch, Flavio Jean Schmidig, Leona Knüsel et al. · 2022 · NeuroImage

Slow-wave sleep is the deep non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) sleep stage that is most relevant for the recuperative function of sleep. Its defining property is the presence of slow oscillations (<2 Hz) in the scalp electroencephalogram (EEG). Slow oscillations are generated by a synchronous back and forth between highly active UP-states and silent DOWN-states in neocortical neurons. Growing evidence suggests that closed-loop sensory stimulation targeted at UP-states of EEG-defined slow oscillations can enhance the slow oscillatory activity, increase sleep depth, and boost sleep's recuperative fun

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics

Scaling of contact networks for epidemic spreading in urban transit systems

Xinwu Qian, Lijun Sun, Satish V. Ukkusuri · 2021 · Scientific Reports

Improved mobility not only contributes to more intensive human activities but also facilitates the spread of communicable disease, thus constituting a major threat to billions of urban commuters. In this study, we present a multi-city investigation of communicable diseases percolating among metro travelers. We use smart card data from three megacities in China to construct individual-level contact networks, based on which the spread of disease is modeled and studied. We observe that, though differing in urban forms, network layouts, and mobility patterns, the metro systems of the three cities

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Atorvastatin for patients with cirrhosis. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Thit Mynster Kronborg, Robert Schierwagen, Kajetan Trôst et al. · 2023 · Hepatology Communications

BACKGROUND: Patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension face a high risk of complications. Besides their anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects, statins may reduce portal pressure and thus the risk of complications and mortality.…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Impact of R&amp;D expenditures, rainfall and temperature variations in agricultural productivity: empirical evidence from Bangladesh

Ruhul Salim, Kamrul Hassan, Sanzidur Rahman · 2019 · Applied Economics

This study aims to investigate dynamic relationships between research and development (R&D) expenditure, climate change (measured by annual rainfall and temperature variations), human capital (proxied by literacy) and total factor…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

The impaired response of nasal epithelial cells to microplastic stimulation in asthma and COPD

Magdalena Paplińska‐Goryca, Paulina Misiukiewicz‐Stępień, Monika Wróbel et al. · 2025 · Scientific Reports

Microplastic particles from the air are inhaled and accumulate in the lungs, potentially causing immunological reactions and airway tissue injury. This study aimed to evaluate the biological effects of polyamide fibres on nasal epithelium…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEarth and Planetary Sciences

Dispersion of Buoyant Waste Water Discharged from Outfall Diffusers of Finite Length

Roberts, Philip Joseph William · 2026 · CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology)

The three-dimensional flow field created by a simple line plume of finite length in a steady current of uniform density was investigated in a laboratory basin. The results can be used to aid in the prediction of dispersion of buoyant waste…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

Modelling the synergistic effect of bacteriophage and antibiotics on bacteria: Killers and drivers of resistance evolution

Quentin J. Leclerc, Jodi A. Lindsay, Gwenan M. Knight · 2022 · PLoS Computational Biology

Bacteriophage (phage) are bacterial predators that can also spread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes between bacteria by generalised transduction. Phage are often present alongside antibiotics in the environment, yet evidence of their joint killing effect on bacteria is conflicted, and the dynamics of transduction in such systems are unknown. Here, we combine in vitro data and mathematical modelling to identify conditions where phage and antibiotics act in synergy to remove bacteria or drive AMR evolution. We adapt a published model of phage-bacteria dynamics, including transduction, to add

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forests in the Northeastern United States: Structure, Dynamics, and Prospects for Restoration

Mark J. Ducey, John Gunn, Andrew A. Whitman · 2013 · Forests

Restoration of old-growth forest structure is an emerging silvicultural goal, especially in those regions where old-growth abundance falls below the historic range of variability. However, longitudinal studies of old-growth dynamics that can inform silvicultural and policy options are few. We analyzed the change in structure, including stand density, diameter distribution, and the abundance of large live, standing dead, and downed dead trees on 58 late-successional and old-growth plots in Maine, USA, and compared these to regional data from the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis program. Struc

View details →